Vehicle-tire.



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EEEEEEEEEE E l'cat oooooo 24 No. 649,720. Patented May I5, |900. C. E.DURYEA.

VEHICLE TIRE.

(Application filed Aug. 24, 1894.-)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Mndal.)

,fnl/6h v1? Charlas EDurqea/ road-surface.

NiTnn STATES PATENT Fries.

CHARLES E. DURYEA, OF TEORIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO TIIE INDIANA RUBBERAND INSULATED IVIRE COMPANY, OF MARION, INDIANA.

VHICLEWTIRE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 649,720,dated May l5, 1900.

Application filed August 24, 1894. Serial No. 521,256I (No model.)

To all zotont it 11m/y concern.-

Be it known that l, CHARLES E. DURYEA, of Peoria, in the county ofPeoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Vehicle- Tires, of which the following' is aspecification.

My invention relates to that class of tires known as pneumatic tires,which consist of a shoe or cover of fabric covered with or incorporatedinto rubber adapted to receive and resist the wear due to contact withthe Inside this retaining-shoe air is held under pressure by an air-tubeof rubber or other material, which may or may not be fixed to and a partof the shoe. This air being under pressure must be confined, and thefabric of the shoe serves to do this, and while any fabric or othermaterial having proper strength may serve to confine the air it isevident that some forms of fabric are better adapted to hold the airwhile permitting its free action within the confined limits than others.

My invention consists of one or more forms of fabric adapted to hold theair properly and yet permit the tire to be compressed at any pointfreely and to a great extent without affecting other points, whereby afaster and more comfortable tire is obtained. This object was achievedwith the fabric shown in my application of September 5, 1892, Serial No.445,037, issued March 14, 1893; but a further object is to vprovide acheaper and thinner fabric than the one there shown,while attaining asgood or better results.

A further object of my invention is to provide a quick and easy means offastening the tire to a rim or of detaching the same there from forrepairs or other purposes; and it consists of a certain form of rim, incombination with wires or similar devices along that part of the shoethat lies at or near the edge of the rim, and a certain formation ofthat part of the shoe below and between the said wires, as will beexplained further in the body of this specification.

Further minor objects may appear as the invention is described in full.

I attain these results by the means shown in the accompanying drawings,in Which- Figures l to 5, inclusive7 are illustrative l of my transversethread fabric, Fig. l being an expanded view of the singlethread formshown in closed shape as used in Fig. l 2. Fig. 3 is a double-threadform expand- 55 ed, so as to show its construct-ion. Fig. 4 is anexpanded braided fabric shown in full size closed in Fig. Figs. 6 and 7are crosssections of the tire on the rim and show two forms of carryingout in practice my method 6o of holding the air-tube and shoe on therim.

Similar letters refer to similar parts th roughv out the several views.

It will be seen that my fabrics differ from those in common use in thatall threads run transversely to the tire, or approximately so. Thisarrangement is valuablein that it avoids the straining or drawing of thefabric threads when the tire passes over an obstacle, as is the casewith all fabrics having longitudinal 7o threads and largely true ofthose fabrics that have the threads diagonally placed. When i a pebbleis forced into my tire, it simply overcomes the air-pressure, and thefew threads that it touches fall with it into the tire without drawingon the other threads or affecting them to any important distance oneither side of the pebble. To secure this action and the other objectssought, I Weave or knit or braid, as the case may be, one or morethreads 8o into a strip of fabric of the Width desired and of lengthsufficient to form the circumference of the wheel, more or less. Thereare no warp-threads required in my fabrics, but to hold it in placeWhile it is being applied or incorporated with the rubber it issometimes advisable to have Warp-threads placed therein Which shall beof sufficient strength to hold the fabric together While in process ofmanufacture, but which shall be of so Weak 9o a nature that they breakand do not interfere with the action of the tire in use. In some casesthese may be placed at or near the edge only and with the cords a (shownin all the views) the fabric may be found suiiig 5 ciently stable to beworked. In other cases the warp-threads may be required to be placed allacross the fabric, as shown at ZJ h b in Fig.

4, and may be as close together as each crossing of the threads.

that these are inserted or not, according to the requirements of theform of tire in which,

It will be understood Ico the fabric is used, and that some formsrequire more of them than others because of the necessity of placing thefabric in the mold evenly, if it is to make an even and smooth tire withthe strain evenly distributed over each part of the fabric.

If no Warp-threads are used, my fabric consists ofapproximately-transverse threads twined, knit, or meshed together atintervals to prevent their separating accidentally and permitting theair-tube to escape. In the patent heretofore mentioned I united thethreads in some manner that would hold them positively; but it is theexperience of tirebuilders that a tire in which the rubber is in-`corporated into the fabric and vulcanized there makes the most durabletire, and this is now the preferred method. I have found that in a tiremade in this manner the rubber holds the threads from slipping one onthe other to any serious extent and that the slight movement madepossible by the elasticity of the rubber is an advantage rather thanotherwise. The need for union at all lies in the fact that rubber tearsvery easily when once started, and a small puncture might be torn into ahole large enough to let the air-tube escape if not restrained in alldirections. The object then of my inventions in fabric is to permit afree and unimpeded stretching of the tread of the tire, but only Withincertain limits. Beyond this limit the threads, although lyingtransversely, begin to act to prevent any danger of tearing the rubber.It will readily be seen that the smaller the mesh the less the amount ofstretch possible at any point, and yet below this limit any portion isfree to stretch in a direction lengthwise the tire. No stretch ispermissible in a direction across the tire, for such would be taken upat once by the air-pressure, and a tire of increased size would be theresult.

I am aware that a jersey or looped fabric has been patented in which oneloop of one thread was put through a loop of the previous thread andserved to receive a loop of the following; but such a fabric will notserve as does mine. To get the desired results, it is necessary that the.threads lie approximately both transversely and straight, for if theyare much crooked they no longer act as individual threads, but theycarry the adjoining threads with them in their movements and act much asa woven fabric. I attain the desired results by carrying one threadspirally around the other a given number of times and a third around thesecond the same number of times in the same distance, and so on until afabric is produced which if expanded looks much as shown in Fig. l,although in use it is applied with the threads lying as close to eachother as possible, (see Fig. 2,) so as to give them a position asstraight and as free from .their neighbors as possible. It

is preferred to use but one ply of such fabric; but in practice I use asmany as is necessary to give the required strength, placing one on topof the other with their threads lying as Vnearly in the same directionas is practicable to get them, just as canvas or other fabrics areplaced two or more ply for strength. Such a fabric as I have describedhas no longitudinal strength, and so must be held to the rim by wires orother means of fastening. In Fig. l a single continuous thread is used;but it is evident that the same arrangement may be obtained by the useof two threads, as shown in Fig. 3, or more. In either case I prefer tomake the fabric of the width desired and return the threads into thefabric, so as to form a pocket or loop for receiving the wires or beadsor Whatever is used to hold Y the fabric to the rim, and I have so shownall the fabrics in the accompanying drawings; but I may use the fabricin sheet form and make a tire by Wrapping strips of it around a core, asis common practice with other fabrics, or I may make the fabric intubular form and 'use it whole or split and laced along the side next tothe rim. These methods are common in the use of other fabrics and arenot new with me nor are they claimed by me.

It is not in the manner of placing the fabric as a fabric that myinvention lies, but in the position of the threads composing the saidfabric.v The improved result is obtained by placing those threads in aposition transverse to the rim of the wheel orso nearthereto that theresult is not affected and hold them from Separating unduly by meshingthem in a manner that will affect in as small a degree as possible theiraction as separate threads. To

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accomplish this result, it is not necessary that the second thread inFig. l should make a continuous spiral around the first, as stated; butthe results are the same if it passes around the first in one directionand after being engaged by the third again passes around the first in areverse spiral, and so on. The meshing of one thread with another givesa diagonal strength that shows very plainly in the expanded form andthat is not desirable to any great extent, if at all; but in the closedform this diagonal does not vary from the transverse more than as manythread diameters as there are meshes in the width of the fabric, and sothe results are affected but little, if any. This being understood itwill be seen that a similar result is obtained by meshing the threadsover and under in a diagonal straight line, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5,Fig. t being an expanded form to show the construction more clearly, andFig. 5 being thc position When in use. This is in reality a braidedfabric, but it is new in that it is not composed of threads that runlengthwise the fabric, as is the case with all previous braided fabrics.The threads of this fabric lie across its length, and it is necessary toeither provide it with warp-threads of Weak material, as beforeexplained, or to make it around the wires or beads, as shown, or both asthe circumstances may require.

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An inflated tire tends to expand in adireetion radial to a cross-sectionof the lire itself and also in a direction radial to the wheel to whichit is applied. My fabrics have little or no longitudinal strength orstrength in the line of a eircu m ference of the wheel, and so must beprovided with wires or other strong and practieally-non-stretchingdevices for holding the tire against the rim. These Wires, as I shallhereinafter term them, may not be placed in the tread portion of thetire, because they would be likely to interfere with the action of thefabric. They may be placed at almost any position near the rim and servetheir purpose, but if placed one along each edge of the rim they serveto prevent any rolling tendency. This is the preferred position, and isnot new with me, broadly, for others have used wires above or inside theedge of the rim. To meet the strain in a direction radial to across-section of the tire, the fabric provides a circumferentialresistance to such parte of such section as it forms a part of, butbelow and between the wires the strain must be met by other means. In myapplication, filed March 13, 1893, Serial No. 465,843, l have shown afabric to take this strain and proposed to lace or otherwise fasten ittogether, il' split, for the purpose of getting at the inner air-tube.My present invention uses wires along that part of the tire which isadjacent to the edges of the rim, but differs from that of theapplication mentioned in that the rim is used to form a part of thecross-sectional circumference, and so receives a part of the strain.That it may do this necessitates a special shape to the edge of the rimand the edge of the tire, whereby they engage each other and meet thestrain mentioned. For ease of repair and other purposes it is desirablethat the tire should be easily detached when deflated and should be openalong the base for easy access to the inner parts. To accomplish this, Iuse a rim having edges of a shape to offer resistance to the sidewisepressure of the air, while the body of the rim itself meets the inwardpressure of the air. The edges of the shoe are adapted to lie againstthe edges of the rim and be held in place by the pressure mentioned.Vhen deliated, the tire may be removed easily. The best results areobtained in practice by having the edge of the tire shaped to t thatportion of the rim it is to rest against and by stilfening it, so thatit maintains its shape.

This stiffening may be effected by the use of an increased quantity ofcanvas as is commonly used, but I prefer to place in the edge a stiffcompound of rubber, such as Vulcanite or something similar, so thatwhile the tread portion of pure rubber is being vulcanized to be softand liexible the edges will by the same vulcanization become stiff,owing to its being made up with a different compound. When so made, thewires may be larger or smaller or the same size as the edge of the rimand yet the tire will remain in place so long as it is inflated. Fig. 6shows a form wherein the Wires are larger than the greatestcircumference of the rim, and when deflated it may easily be thrown intothe position shown in the dotted lines and removed from the rim. Fig. 7is a form in which the wires are not so large as the greatestcircumference of the rim, and to remove it from its place requires thatit should be thrown flat against the bottom of the rim for the greaterportion of its length, which permits the remaining portion to be liftedover the edge of the rim. At O is a detail showing a forln wherein thewire is smaller than the rim and yet lies outside of it. d a indicatethe wires, and d cl the stiff filling along the edges of the shoe. Inall lthese forms the stiff edge serves to hold the Wires in their placeand prevent accidental displacement.

I claiml. A tire-shoe having stiffened edges adapted to lie within a rimand wires secured to lie adjacent to the edges of the rim, and providedwith'a restraining fabric'extensible lengthwise but not transversely,consisting of threads interlocked or intermeshed and arrangedapproximately paralled with each other and transversely of the tire,substantially as described.

2. A rubber tire-shoe having a portion made stiffer than the otherportions by the use of a compound adapted to vulcanize harder than theother portions and provided with a fabric consisting of strong threadsinterIocked and intermeshed and arranged approximately parallel witheach other and transversely of the tire, but free to move with relationto each other substantially as described.

fitness my hand.

CHARLES E. DURYEA..

Witnesses:

LAURA B. Bnfxvrs, FRANK Bunvis.

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